Ms. Masami Tyson

Masami Tyson was appointed Chief of Staff for Nashville’s 10^th Mayor, Freddie O’Connell, in July 2025. With a background that spans both the public and private sectors, Masami brings her unique expertise in organizational design, partnership-building, collaboration, law, and economic development to the role.  For four years, she served as the Global Director of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade for the State of Tennessee and previously also served in various in-house senior attorney roles. These experiences have made her an expert convener and connector with an eye for making Nashville a better place.  

Twice named one of Nashville’s Most Influential People and named Nashville Business Journal’s Woman of Influence, Masami received her B.A. and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University before earning her Juris Doctor at Vanderbilt University.  She has served on several boards and commissions, including as Board Chair of the Japan-America Society of Tennessee as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board.  

A native of Yokohama, Japan, Masami is a first-generation Japanese American whose life work is to build bridges between the U.S. and Japan. She is one of the founding members and the inaugural Chair of USJC’s Shin-Issei Affinity Group.